…..
Regal pushed to his feet, grabbed a nearby towel, rested it on his shoulder, and slipped himself into the bathroom, getting another last glance of her before shutting it.
He hung the towel onto another hanger, moved under the shower, and turned it on, letting the cold water hit his face.
After a few more minutes he was done bathing, a quick swipe with a towel to dry himself, getting under his usual t-shirt and pants, he was out with a final glance at his wild hair only to give up fixing it.
Just as he was out, another disorganized counter greeted him.
However, this time he put on the gloves, cleaned it, and threw them into the trash cover.
After he was done, he grabbed the coffee tin, scooped grounds into the machine, and hit the start button.
The machine hissed as he yanked open the fridge.
Eggs, bread, and milk were grabbed and dumped onto the clean counter.
Crack, whisk, pour, eggs hit the pan with a sizzle.
The toaster clicked, toast popped up, and he caught it without missing a beat. Buttered and tossed onto a plate, the eggs followed right after.
Two mugs filled with steaming coffee joined them on the table.
Regal leaned on the counter for half a second, eyes darting to the 'bedroom', which was really just the hall with a bed shoved against the wall.
Simultaneously, his gaze lingered across the room.
It was a single room flat, with an open kitchen and a modest bathroom.
What more could anyone expect from a bachelor's room?
But now that I have saved up some cash, maybe I should move out? Regal thought.
He had been contemplating the thought for a week as he was making some decent amount that would allow him to pay his rent and food from the donations he earns from ＜Solo Leveling＞ and ＜ORV＞
And now that he also has income that will fold in from his 'Harry Potter' venture, getting himself a single-bedroom flat shouldn't even be a problem.
But would it be a waste? Regal wasn't into living in big spaces. He likes it when it is close.
So for a single guy like him-!
….Right. He isn't anymore.
At that, his gaze landed on the figure still sleeping and onto the second cup of coffee that sat on the counter, waiting.
He took a quick sip of his coffee, registering the taste of caffeine while leaning against the counter.
However, soon his attention was shifted elsewhere.
With a mental flick in his mind, he opened his system, and immediately, a translucent blue screen hovered mid-air, slightly tilted toward him.
He navigated through the options, landing on the [Notification] section, while sipping his coffee moment to moment.
As the tab loaded, several alerts blinked into existence.
•-------[NOTIFICATIONS]-------•
Ⓘ [Solo Leveling:] Web Novel (Rank: A)
–> [Collect Rewards:] [Y/N]
([┘]- 30 days, 1 hr of Accumulated Rewards)
….
Ⓘ [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint:] Web Novel (Rank: S)
–> [Collect Accumulated Rewards:] [Y/N]
([┘]- 30 days, 1 hr since the launch)
….
Ⓘ [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:] Book (Rank: S)
–> [Collect Accumulated Rewards:] [Y/N]
([┘]- 31 days, 5 hr since the launch)
•---------------------------•
Regal's eyes lingered on the notification tab, his lips curling into a faint smile.
"Thirty one days, huh?" He muttered to himself.
It had been a month since he last collected his rewards. Back then, his rewards had piled up to a good sum of 850K EP.
It had been exhilarating - right up until he dried nearly every bit of it on the second volume of Harry Potter.
A purchase that, in hindsight, he wouldn't even need for another six months, unless Gwen or Everleaf Press wanted progress updates earlier than expected.
But still, by now he knew he made the right call.
Risky? Definitely.
But freeing up his [Pin] had felt like cutting loose an anchor.
After all, he still hadn't figured out a reliable way to earn another one.
In the last thirty days, Regal had played a careful game with that one precious pin.
He had watched many bulletin boards refresh, using the [Pin] strategically - locking scripts that caught his eye, then removing them when a better one came along.
He had done this dance repeatedly, shuffling between promising projects.
But now, the question loomed - which script would finally become his debut?
The answer? It wasn't the most obvious choice. It wasn't even the second most obvious choice.
No, Regal had chosen the most unconventional script of all.
A bold gamble, but one he was determined to see through.
But before that, he needs an EP to buy it.
So, unable to contain himself anymore, he clicked on collect.
The screen flickered, the system responding immediately, shifting into a new interface as the process began.
•---•
「Ding! User successfully collected [Solo Leveling] rewards!」
[Total View Count:] 5,726,621 + ↑7,804,119 = 13,530,740
[Total EP Earned:] 780,411
「Your total EP is now: 39K + ↑780K = 820K」
•---•
Regal let out an appreciative whistle. "820K, huh? The script I choose is [Rank: B], and it costs 799K. So this should do it."
Satisfied, he swiped back to the rewards menu and tapped on the second notification for ＜ORV＞
The system buzzed lightly, processing the numbers with its usual precision.
•---•
「Ding! User successfully collected [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] rewards!」
[Total View Count:] 3,902,081 + ↑6,533,919 = 10,436,000
[Total EP Earned:] 6,53,390
「Your total EP is now: 820K + ↑650K = 1.47M」
•---•
Regal simply nodded and immediately clicked on the third [Y] in the list, the one he had been saving for last.
•---•
「Ding! User successfully collected [Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone] rewards!」
[Total Readers Count:] 362,563
[Total EP Earned:] 543,844
「Your total EP is now: 1.47M + ↑543K = 2.01M」
•---•
540K EP.
…that's it?
Regal stared at the number, his thoughts drifting back to the 750K EP he had spent just to purchase ＜Harry Potter＞ from the [Bulletin Board].
It had been a steep investment, no doubt, but the returns weren't exactly shabby either, 540K EP for the month, along with solid hard cash.
"Maybe, 700K EP next time?" He mused aloud, tilting his head.
The thought wasn't entirely outlandish. The read count kept climbing; the interest snowballed into something that felt almost unstoppable.
Regal's eyes darted back to the numbers, trying to reconcile the rate, the EP-to-read-count ratio, against what he had come to expect from his web novel days.
The comparison was unavoidable. Web novels had their quirks, their charm even, but when it came to revenue?
The difference? The scale.
Books were an entirely different beast.
In just a month, his latest release had raked in an astounding $400,000, a figure that felt surreal compared to the mere twenty grand he had eked out over two months of writing web novels.
And that was counting every possible avenue, advanced chapters, donations, you name it.
Still, Regal wasn't ready to dismiss web novels outright - don't forget he rejected the contract offers; otherwise, he would have definitely made some cash.
Still, they weren't the cash cows that books were, not yet, but they held a different kind of value.
Massive value.
A web novel that gained traction could be so much more.
It was a gateway.
Comics, merchandise, animation deals, they were all possible if the stars aligned.
Of course, that was a plan for the distant future.
Right now, he had to focus on the present.
And the reality was simple - he needed both mediums to survive.
Books provided hard cash, the kind that paid for everything from daily expenses to ambitious film productions.
Web novels, on the other hand, were his EP lifeline, the fuel for his creative ambitions in this strange new system.
Two worlds, two streams, and one goal, to make a damn good movie.
His eyes flicked back to the stats for ＜Harry Potter＞
The read count stood at 362,563, but he already knew the exact number of books sold, 201,709 copies.
So what did this mean?
The read count was 1.5 times the number of books sold. That had to mean something.
Does the system track multiple reads? Maybe it even factors in how often readers share their copies with friends.
It was the only theory that made sense.
Either way, it worked in his favor.
If the system's rewards were tied strictly to the number of books sold, his EP balance would be a lot more depressing right now.
Come to think of it, the name [Entertainment Point] wasn't random.
The system wasn't just rewarding sales, it valued spread and engagement.
How far the content reached.
How much joy or excitement it delivered to people.
Regal shook his head, dismissing the fleeting thoughts.
He wasn't here to get bogged down in the details.
With a flick of his wrist, he returned to the [Index] menu, the interface sliding back into the background effortlessly.
-----[INDEX]-----•
[Name:] Regal Seraphsail
[Items]
[Skill Slots]
[Bulletin Board]
ⓘ [EP Available : 4 Million]
ⓘ [Bulletin Board] ([┘]- 06:02:48 )
•----------------•
"Alright, it's time." Regal muttered to himself, fingers hovering above the [Bulletin Board] tab, his excitement sharp and focused.
Without hesitation, he clicked it, ready for the next step.
•-----[BULLETIN BOARD]-----•
[Refresh Time] ([┘]- 06:02:48 )
[Movie Scripts:] Whispers of the Night (Rank: C, Price: 253K EP)
Steel Horizon (Rank: B, Price: 786K EP)
Following (Rank: C, Price: 1M EP)(⚲)
Starlight's End (Rank: F, Price: 2.2M EP)
[Web Novel:]
The Silent Dawn (Rank: A, Price: 400K EP)
[Books:]
Mysteries of the Forgotten (Rank: F, Price: 50K EP)
[Private Music Album:]
Echoes in the Dark (Rank: B, Price: 530K EP)
[Manga:]
The Last Kingdom's Fall (Rank: A, Price: 90K EP)
….
[Force Refresh:] 100K
[Search Token Available:] 0
[Pins Available(⚲):] 1 (in use)
•------------------------•
Regal's eyes skimmed over the window once again and landed on the unconventional script he had decided on as his debut project.
•----•
[Movie Scripts:]
Following (Rank: C, Price: 799K EP) – (⚲)
•----•
Yeah, the script he selected for his debut project is - ＜Following＞
Admittedly, by no means was this the best script he had come across in the past month.
In fact, until just a few days ago, he had fixed the [Pin] on with a [Rank: A] script.
But then, this script showed up, throwing him into one of the biggest dilemmas he had faced since arriving in this world.
After a whole day of weighing his options, he let the other script go.
Not because he lacked the skills to pull it off. Not because he doubted his vision.
It came down to one thing - affordability.
He didn't just need enough EP to buy the script from the system. He also had to consider the funds to actually produce it.
Sure, he had earned a solid chunk of cash from his book, but he couldn't afford to pour over a million dollars into his debut film.
Not yet.
There was a harsh reality to face - distributors wouldn't take a chance on an indie-produced film with a bloated budget.
The risk would be too high, and no one would want to back it, no matter how good the product was.
That's why ＜Following＞ made it this point.
In his previous life, ＜Following＞ was seen as the weakest film in Christopher Nolan's impressive portfolio.
But Regal didn't mind. In fact, it made him excited.
There is no doubt that the script's premise was undeniably unique, just as daring as Nolan's later directorial ventures.
But the movie fell short in execution because of budget constraints and Nolan's inexperience as a director at that age.
However, here despite the year, 2010 - there is no such film.
Meaning, in this new world, he has the chance to shape it into something far more impactful with the funds he has.
With the right direction and a few key adjustments, this film could become - a box office hit, a critical darling, and the film that will be remembered as the iconic launch of his career.
A confident smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he pressed the purchase button.
•---•
「Ding! Purchase Complete: Movie Scripts [Following]」
「Your total EP is now: 1.21M」
ⓘ The parched item will be stored in the [Items] slot.
•---•
Without wasting a second, Regal opened his [Items] tab and saw the script waiting for him.
•-------[ITEMS]-------•
» [Following] x 1
ⓘ User can directly consume the book by clicking on it.
•---------------------•
Regal clicked on the Consumable option, and in an instant, the familiar rush of new knowledge flooded his mind.
It was the same feeling he had experienced before with his book and the web novels, everything clicking into place, all the information he needed coming together.
He leaned back, closing the system with a satisfied sigh.
The script was now embedded in his hands or, more like, in his mind.
But that was only the first step.
Now came the real challenge - transforming his vision into a tangible reality.
And reality?
Well, it came with its fair share of complications.
Big ones.
Casting actors. Renting equipment. Hiring a crew. Scouting locations. Securing permissions. Organizing schedules and rehearsals. Filming. Editing. Marketing.
…and the biggest challenge of all?
The distributors.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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